Airplane construction frame

ABSTRACT

A prefabricated, unitary frame and a body formed in prefabricated sections, the frame having body sections receiving and supporting members, and the body sections being formed of lightweight and strong alloys, or synthetics, and being provided with complementary engaging means for quick and easy securement of said body sections to said supporting members.

[ Feb. 8, M72

Unite States Patent Harrison [5 4] AIRPLANE CONSTRUCTKON FRAME 2,870,569 1/1959 Bergstrand......................,.......... m1 MR-"WW1Earlinsmoad, 3353?:313 3/1322 Havertown, Pa. 19083 Apr. 15, 1970 [21] Appl.No.: 28,767

Primary Examiner-Milton Buchler [22] Filed:

Assistant Examiner-Steven W. Weinrieb Attorney-Necho and Kimmelman ans for quick and easy securement of said body sections to said supporting members.

.244/117 R,244/13l,46/76 ABSTRACT M86 34: 1/00 A prefabricated, unitary frame and a body formed in .244/1 17, 1 19, 131; 46/76, 78, prefabricated sections, the frame having body sections receiv- 4 /3 ing and supporting members, and the body sections being formed of lightweight and strong alloys, or synthetics, and Reiwences Cited being provided with complementary engaging me [52] US. CL [51] Int. [58] Field ofSearch UNITED STATES PATENTS McCoy 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures AIRPLANE CONSTRUCTION mm BACKGROUND As far as applicant is aware, it has been the practice to build the frame and progressively to cover or enclose it to form a nose, a cabin, a wing, a tail, etc.

THE INVENTION The invention resides in prefabricating a unitary frame and in prefabricated body sections which, when mounted in position on the frame, produce a complete plane; said body sections being interchangeable and capable of being easily and quickly secured to the frame.

IN THE DRAWINGS:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plane constructed according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing the frame and the various body sections which coact with the frame to produce the finished plane.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the same, partially broken away to disclose interior construction.

The plane diagrammatically shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, includes a nose section which is internally designed to house the engine and cockpit; a cabin section 12 which is designed to form a passenger compartment; wing sections 14 which form the wings; a tail section 17; and a rudder section 20. The wings are provided with conventional elevator flaps 22. The engine and ailerons, etc., being conventional, have not been shown.

In FIG. 2, the nosepiece 10 is shown as being formed of two sections 10A and 108 which are complementary and are carried by the front portion of a hollow, elongated main stem or member 24, at the front end of which there is mounted a disc 26, to which the conventional conical nosepiece 28 is secured. Sections 10A and 10B are provided with complementary semicircular grooves G which are intended tightly to engage support 24 but the rest of their construction, and the manner in which they are clamped about stem 24, forms no part of the invention and is not shown. The cabin section 12 is formed of complementary portions 12A and 128, which are also provided with longitudinal grooves G for engaging stem 24, and with transverse grooves g-l for accommodating rods 32 which project laterally for engagement with holes 34 to fasten wings 14 to stem 14. Wings 1 can be made in segments, in which rods 32 and holes 34 will correspondingly be lengthened. The

cabin section 12 is extended to form sections 36A and 361-] which engage stem 24 rearwardly of rods 32. The front portions of sections 36A and 368 can serve as extensions of the passenger cabin and, the rear tapered portions thereof can serve for storage. The rudders 20 are formed of sections 20A and 20B, and are provided with holes for pivotal engagement with pins 38 which project upwardly from stem 24. At its rear end, stem 24 is provided with transverse rods 44 which engage corresponding holes 46 in tailpieces 48.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that elongated supporting member 24 can be prefabricated so as to carry disc 26, transverse rods 32, 44, and vertical pins 38, and that the remaining parts, having been prefabricated with the desired holes and grooves, are simply slipped into position and suitably secured. This is much faster and less laborious, and less expensive, than having to build a frame and to proceed to cover the frame to produce a wing, or other comparable part of the plane.

I claim:

1. A prefabricated airplane including:

a hollow, elongated, main stem having a front end and a tail end,

a disc attached to the front end of said stem with the interacting faces of said disc and said stem disposed at a right angle relative to the axis of said stem,

horizontally extending wing-supporting means carried by said stem intermediate its ends,

a vertically disposed rudder support means at the tail end of said stem,

said stem also carrying horizontal tailpiece-supporting means at the tail end thereof,

a prefabricated nosepiece consisting of complementary truncated conical segments clamped to said stem immediately to the rear of said disc,

a cabin formed of complementary segments clamped to said stem,

wings secured to said wing-supporting means, and extending horizontally from said stem,

a rudder attached to said rudder support means, and

a tail section attached to said stem at the tail end thereof.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said stem is provided with horizontal and vertical rods, and said nosepieces, said cabin pieces, and said tailpieces, are provided with rod-engaging means for attachment to said stem. 

1. A prefabricated airplane including: a hollow, elongated, main stem having a front end and a tail end, a disc attached to the front end of said stem with the interacting faces of said disc and said stem disposed at a right angle relative to the axis of said stem, horizontally extending wing-supporting means carried by said stem intermediate its ends, a vertically disposed rudder support means at the tail end of said stem, said stem also carrying horizontal tailpiece-supporting means at the tail end thereof, a prefabricated nosepiece consisting of complementary truncated conical segments clamped to said stem immediately to the rear of said disc, a cabin formed of complementary segments clamped to said stem, wings secured to said wing-supporting means, and extending horizontally from said stem, a rudder attached to said rudder support means, and a tail section attached to said stem at the tail end thereof.
 2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said stem is provided with horizontal and vertical rods, and said nosepieces, said cabin pieces, and said tailpieces, are provided with rod-engaging means for attachment to said stem. 